In conclusion,
Some food items like juicy fruits rich in vitamin C or ascorbic acid such as oranges and lemon, other fermented food items as curd, alcohol, Fish, red meat are to be avoided as they have harmful effect on vitiligo and can give rise to spreading of patches.
Protect your skin from the sun.
A bad sunburn can worsen vitiligo. If you have a lighter skin tone, there's another advantage to protecting your skin from the sun. Without a tan, the lighter spots and patches are often less noticeable.
Drink papaya juice regularly to replenish the body of melanin cells lost due to vitiligo. Red clay is an affective treatment of vitiligo. Red clay is rich in copper content. Add a tablespoon of ginger juice to two tablespoons of red clay.
According to the Vitiligo Speciality Clinic, there are certain foods that should be avoided to manage the symptoms of vitiligo. Juicy fruits rich in vitamin C like oranges and lemon, fermented foods like yogurt, alcohol and others like red meat, fish can cause the white patches to spread and worsen the condition.
Fruits and vegetables: Focus on eating antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables. Choose non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, beets, carrots, cauliflower, green beans, and spinach. Eat more fruits like berries, oranges, melon, and apples.
Topical steroids. Topical steroids come as a cream or ointment you apply to your skin. They can sometimes stop the spread of the white patches and may restore some of your original skin colour.
Light therapy.
Phototherapy with narrow band ultraviolet B (UVB) has been shown to stop or slow the progression of active vitiligo. It might be more effective when used with corticosteroids or calcineurin inhibitors. You'll need therapy two to three times a week.
Make sure a major bulk of your diet consists of these vegetables, as long as you do not find it difficult to digest them. Protein – In case you yearn for animal products, opt for chicken breast, lean cuts of turkey, wild fish, and organic eggs. It is good to cook them lightly.
To the best of our knowledge, vitamin D significantly affects melanocytes and keratinocytes. Studies suggest that vitamin D3 increases tyrosinase activity and melanogenesis in vitro [12], which may lead to repigmentation in vitiligo skin lesions.
Foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids such as almond, walnuts, avocado and fatty fish forms a vital part of the vitiligo diet as it is known to improve blood circulation, prevent inflammation and trigger the immune system.
Avoid junk foods: Studies have shown that children who have a habit of eating a lot of junk are at a high risk of developing vitiligo. Also a lot of intake of chocolates, cheese, and coffee is also not good for patients with vitiligo.
What causes vitiligo? Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease. This type of disease develops when your immune system attacks part of your own body. If you have vitiligo, your immune system attacks cells in your body called melanocytes.
Vitiligo can be triggered by stress to the melanin pigment-producing cells of the skin, the melanocytes. The triggers, which range from sunburn to mechanical trauma and chemical exposures, ultimately cause an autoimmune response that targets melanocytes, driving progressive skin depigmentation.
To treat vitiligo, doctors generally prescribe vitamins, such as vitamins C, E, B12, D, and folic acid, in combination with other treatment regimens.
After 6 to 12 months, segmental vitiligo tends to stabilize, meaning that the color loss stops. Once it stops, most people with segmental vitiligo don't develop new patches or spots.
There is no "cure" for vitiligo. Sometimes patches go away on their own. But when that doesn't happen, doctors can prescribe treatments that might help even out skin tone.
Yoga poses like Nadisodhana Pranayama, Bharamri Pranayama, Sitkari Pranayama, Sitali Pranayama, Kapalbhati prevent progression of vitiligo and improve immunity. Yoga exercises help to develop new cells and remove away the dead cells from the skin. Practising yoga daily can help you maintain healthy melanocytes.
Whole grain: Foods like oats, brown rice, white rice, couscous, corn, quinoa is very healthy for vitiligo patients.